The Monster
by Synaptic-Firefly
Summary: "No one lasted very long as my battle partner," Numbuh 274's limpid blue eyes rove hungrily over her. "Are you going to be the next one I break?" "We'll find out, won't we?" 274/362
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Another Eminem/Rihanna duet fic for these two. Part of the _Love the Way You Lie_ verse. Kinda.

**Warnings:** Borderline abusive pre-relationship, err... so I don't condone it. Butt-kicking.

**Status:** Completed on its own. I can always add more chapters in the future.

**Other:** Title and lyrics belong to _Eminem ft. Rihanna - The Monster_ (Aftermath/Interscope)

* * *

**The Monster**

She was thrown so far off the mat that she landed on a completely separate one_ ten feet away_ and howled when she fell on her shoulder hard. This boy… no, _commander_ couldn't be human. Not with how easily he grabbed her flying kick and tossed her like a rag doll. Hiding a whimper, unfocused brown eyes saw the bright spotlights of the Moonbase gym dance around. Experience on the field told her that she was experiencing extreme disorientation. Solution: reorient herself and _run_.

But giving up wasn't an option. Not when the stakes were so high. With great effort, she managed to roll her already sore body over until she fell onto on her stomach, which earned another gasp of pain, and struggled to get up on bruised arms.

That was when a shoe stepped onto her back ever so gently, it was obviously an _insult_, and pushed her back down onto the mat. Teeth grinding together, there was no energy left for her to try and get back up at this rate.

He _knew_ this.

Her battle partner leaned forward, adding more weight down on his boot until he heard her whimper in pain. And then, just as the pressure was almost too much for her, the weight disappeared, and in its place she found a warm palm rest against the bruised mark. Fingers curled around the creases of her training shirt almost in apology.

_Almost._

"No one lasted very long as my battle partner." She could feel Numbuh 274's limpid blue eyes rove over her prone form. Having absolute power over an opponent must be his ultimate high because his words were elated and rumbling with pleasure. "Are you going to be the next one I _break_?"

"We'll… find out, won't we?" Cheek pressed against the rough blue mat, she growled out her defiance to one of his sneakers. That was the only part of him she could see while pinned, but it was just enough. She hated anything that was a part of him indiscriminately.

His shoes disappeared and the world shifted when she was turned onto her back again. Now she had a first class seating to the insipid smile of his handsome face that got closer when he knelt down. There was hardly a scratch on him aside from the busted lip. She was proud of that regardless.

Almost as if he could read her thoughts, 274 lewdly licked the dry blood of his split lip and brushed a knuckle against a similar mark on her temple, which was already blooming in an ugly blue and purple. She flinched from the stinging pain that came with it and that made him smile.

_I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed._

* * *

An important event called the _Battle Partner Lottery_ came once a month and would continue _every_ month afterwards until everyone was partnered up for mandatory training. After the rest of the sectors flailed and ran the two times Moonbase had been attacked by the more competent teenagers and Sector V saving the day by barely the skin of their teeth, the big kids upstairs had enough. Something had to be done.

Except the _Battle Partner Lottery_ was quickly becoming something of a farce when it came to someone like their beloved Supreme Leader. Word on Moonbase when she first arrived was that Numbuh 274 was a different person when you fought him. Notorious for never pulling his punches when he engaged the battlefield, why would he do the same while training?

That made him a dangerous enemy, but also a vicious battle partner for the weak-hearted. Six months since the _Battle Partner Lottery_ started Numbuh 274 always ended up back in queue for a new randomized partner. Because of that whispers began to spread like wildfire egged on by his horrified ex-partners. _They can't keep up/there's no breaks/he scares them/he's relentless_… sometimes these whispers blended into something almost inhuman until everyone on Moonbase was certain that he changes his partners for the worst.

They go in eager like the children they are, bouncing and boasting that they're the battle partner of _Numbuh 274 himself_ and then leave fearful and demanding a transfer to someone else.

And that was what they were:_ rumors_. Ask anyone on Global Command and they'd sing romantic sonnets in 274's name. He was friendly, helpful, a guiding force that kept the Kids Next Door alive and thriving. His ex-partners were just bitter, they'd say, because they weren't _strong enough/fast enough/smart enough_ to keep up with their beloved Supreme Leader.

If that wasn't enough for you, then meet him and see for yourself, they'd say. You would be _dazzled_ by his boyish smile and his smooth dulcet voice that spoke of power and protection. Why would you fear someone who looked and acted like he cared about you?

Because he was good at what he did. He was _dangerous_ in his charisma. Beware.

* * *

One hit, two hit, every successive bit of contact was countered with a smugness that only sought to infuriate her more. He was immune to her acupuncture tactics which was designed to work on the soft bellies of the unathletic adults and lazy teenagers. There was just not enough force to do more than bruise the flesh of his strong stomach. It was not enough to _faze_ him let alone incapacitate.

He was tough and _fast_. What he couldn't dodge from her destabilizing touch, he made up for it in raw power, using her momentum against her by grabbing a hold whenever she drew close and never letting go like a well-trained police dog.

And when he did, it was because he was _playing_ with her. That pissed her off even more which made her attacks sloppy and desperate. He knew this because his grin grew with each dodge but, eventually, he had enough of her fancy spy moves.

Grabbing her left arm hard, she shouted in alarm when he twisted her around until she exposed her vulnerable back to him and kept it there by the unnatural angle he trapped her arm in. He pushed her arm in warning until she had no choice but remain deathly still and welcome him into her personal space again whether she liked it or not.

He _had_ to be human. She could feel the strong thrum of his chest pressed against her back. Then again, she supposed _animals_ could do the same thing. Animals and even _monsters_.

A hot breath bled into her damp golden hair and caused her to shiver. "Concede." She can feel his lips quirk up into another smirk against her ear. Why he enjoyed messing with her like this she did not know. _Could_ not know. He was the older one. Maybe something else drove him to intimacy. Maybe he just never had any real friends and he was touch starved for affection.

She'd go on theorizing, but sympathy was extremely hard when the person in question was one pressure point away from breaking your arm.

He roughly grabbed her hair with his free hand and forced her head back into a hard tilt which caused her to gasp in pain. She was taking too long to answer. "_Concede._" This time it was an _order_.

"Never." He stole her next breath by pulling her hair until she was practically breathing into his neck from an unnatural angle, but she would not relent. Every moment spent with him meant he couldn't rough up another operative again. This was like another mission, another failure and she was under the microscope again of the enemy. He was going to learn first hand that withstanding physical interrogation was the bread and butter of KND espionage.

Or maybe he _did_ know and he was _enjoying_ this.

The hand in her hair lessened and those rough fingers ran through her tangled strands with a gentleness you expected from the Supreme Leader. "Good girl," he pressed his lips against the side of her temple and let out silent puffs of air. He was _laughing_. "Expected nothing less…" he squeezed into her arm again, causing her to stand on her tiptoes to relieve the pressure. "…from an espionage agent." A quiet cry of pain left her lips when he nudged her arm again. Where he learned this technique she wanted to know… and use it against him.

She would last longer than the others, he probably could already tell.

He finally released her and watched as she fell boneless onto the mat with a soft grunt. And when he pounced on what he believed was the final victory, Rachel flipped onto her back and kicked him hard in the stomach. Stumbling back in surprise, he watched her with something akin to excitement as she curled her legs toward her chest before she kicked up into a standing position…

…and roundhouse kicked him right in the jaw.

* * *

That was where it all began, really. Orders from the top downsized the espionage division on Earth in order to reinforce security on Moonbase. Veteran operatives were needed more than ever because Sector V couldn't play the sung heroes all the time.

Numbuh 86 had been joyous that her superior was finishing the paperwork necessary for the permanent transfer to Global Command. Some of this paperwork included an entry for Numbuh 362's number into the _Battle Partner Lottery_ queue for she knew no one on base that she was comfortable partnering with. Fanny had already partnered with Numbuh 60 _months_ ago.

Why not leave it to chance? Fanny almost dropped her entire lunch tray in horror when Rachel made note of this just as they sat down.

"Please, Numbuh 362, for the love of Rainbow Monkeys everywhere_ find a partner!_" Rachel jumped in alarm. Fanny had grabbed her spork with both hands and her green eyes began to waver in unshed tears. "Do it before ye end up with _Numbuh 274_!"

She was so loud, almost half the cafeteria paused and the other half instantly made a break for it lest their Supreme Leader himself overheard her. Rumors were already well set into the urban legend that came with living in such a large base of operations. Overactive imaginations of a bunch of children can make the rumors seem like Numbuh 274 had supersonic hearing or something.

How ridiculous.

"So he's a disciplined fighter. That's a _good thing_, Fanny," Rachel stressed slowly and pried her fingers away from the red head's death-like grip. "I just _know_ I'm going to get soft up here on Moonbase. I'm just not built to look down at Earth from the opposite end of the transmission screen! I have to be down there in the dirt doing spy work. And if our Supreme Leader can keep me from going mad, I'd be _honored_ to be picked as his battle partner."

"You say that now, Numbuh 362, but you watch," Numbuh 5 coolly slipped into their table and idly enjoyed a sucker, overhearing their conversation. "All that time out of contact with Global Command the last year or so is gonna bite you right on the butt. Even _Numbuh 5_ don't wanna dance with 274. He's _hardcore_. Ask 60 over there how his _butt's_ still recovering from the beat down 274's given him months ago."

Numbuh 60 turned in his seat when someone mentioned his name and he stood up. "You talking to me?!" Almost forgetting that Patton hardly had an inside voice, Rachel winced. "Numbuh 274's _ruthless_. Back on base we tell our cadets stories about him to get them moving their lazy keesters! He got me right on the tail, he did. I was in the ER for_ two weeks_. Luckier than Numbuh 32 at least. He needed a butt transplant afterwards!"

Fanny shivered. "Aye… an' he's no gentleman to the girls either. Poor Numbuh 47. She was never the same afterwards. I dunna even want to talk about what happened to _me_."

Rachel lowered her spork and looked at the meatball sandwich on her plate. If she _was_ unlucky enough to get picked, she might not want to fatten up on this kind of food so close to training. "Is he really that brutal to his battle partners?"

"Hafta be when yer the best operative evar." Fanny was literally trembling in her seat. "When you fight with Numbuh 274, he_ really_ means it."

Patton nodded and smacked his fist hard against his palm. "He's hard. _Nintendo Hard_. And he's made a lot of people cry too. That's why nobody wants to spar with him and those who willingly come back for more are crazy anyways! Like _Numbuh 1_."

"Oooh yeah, Numbuh 1 loves Nintendo Hard, baby," Abby grinned. "but even Numbuh 1 knows that he should only train with 274 on his best day. As a permanent battle partner? Yeah right! His girlfriend would beat _us_ black and blue if she saw her little _Nigie_ covered in battle scars every month."

And when they announced this month's lottery later in the day, everyone gasped and backed away from Numbuh 362 when she saw her number paired up with 274's on the jumbo screen. She thought she heard Numbuh 5 in the background whistle in sympathy before hightailing it.

"362." She immediately whirled around to find her Supreme Leader hovering just behind her, thoughtfully rubbing his chin as he concentrated on the monitor. She just didn't understand. He was just _oozing_ friendliness. Not _boogeyman_.

Chad cemented her impression of him by looking down and smiling at her so boyishly it stole her breath away. "Looks like we're _partners_." He emphasized the last word so intimately, Rachel had to quickly look around and hope no one was within hearing range.

"I… yes," she instantly composed herself and saluted him. "I'll do my best to make sure you are at peak condition, sir!"

"We'll see." Perhaps she was just imagining the darkening of his eyes and the sudden sharpness of his smile. It might just be because Numbuh 86 and 60 scared her with stories about how ruthless he was.

He was their _leader_. He would never _intentionally_ hurt them.

* * *

Their first spar was a one-sided affair, but it was hardly as bad as the rumors made it out to be. She knew she was going to feel some of her bruises in the morning, but she fought in worse conditions with much more dangerous opponents.

And when she somehow managed to get him on his back best _two out of three_, Chad smiled up at her from his place on the floor.

"You're good," he said and she should have seen this beforehand. He wasn't even breathing irregularly from the hour long session. "How about we raise the stakes a bit?"

Looking back, she should have sensed the deception a mile away. A lesson to be learned: never let a handsome smile ruin your sense of vigilance. She was going to learn this the hard way.

Chest heaving, Rachel offered a hand to him which he took, but didn't use to lift himself up. Instead, she felt his thumb brush against the light callouses of her fingers, a relic of her days as a _traceuse_ swinging over railings and jumping over walls. She turned pink and it had nothing to do with exertion. "Sir?"

"Everyone's too scared to spar with me regularly," he brushed a bit of stray blond hair from his limpid blue eyes. It was so charming, she was immediately disarmed by that action alone. No wonder Numbuh 10 gushed about him everyday in the rec room. "I figured hey, maybe if we make a game out of this you're not gonna run off as quickly as the last one."

Rachel tilted her head and wondered if this was his way of saying he was lonely. That was what she would do if their roles were reversed. There were very few people on base she was familiar with. Her old friends were back in their treehouse on Earth, probably blissfully uncaring that she had gone underground the last year.

She reaffirmed her hold on him. "I won't run," she promised with that famous conviction that earned her many classified missions back in the day.

He offered her his pinky, the most ultimate of all promises to be made in the KND. "Swear on it?"

She should have seen this coming, this _manipulation_. He was far better at disguising his true intentions, even more so than _her_, the_ spy prodigy_. And when you were dealing with an operative who was notoriously whispered to be the best in the KND, they were just as much as a liability as they were an ally.

This Numbuh 274 was_ dangerous_. Even more so because he_ knew_ this.

Not realizing the implications of this promise, she blindly gave him her pinky and intertwined it with his. "I swear." _Blind_. She was absolutely blind to the real 274 within. The one who was ruthless and manipulative and pulled all the strings in order to get what he wanted was beneath that friendly surface just waiting to pop out and pull her under.

He _knew_ she abided by the KND honor code. This was him exploiting it to its fullest.

The first term of their promise happened when he suddenly tossed her onto her back. Before she could even catch her breath, he was on her so fast she barely blinked. Fear suddenly gripped her when strong fingers pressed hard into her stomach through her training shirt. This was nothing like the spar they had before. This one was _serious_.

Something changed in 274. His eyes were dark and lilting along with his smile which was no longer friendly. It was twisted and playful and she felt true fear for the first time because it was directed at her and her only.

"You know, you look kind of _pretty_ when you're afraid," he noted casually and pressed harder each time she took a breath. Realizing his intention, she held her breath as long as she could. There was a sinking feeling in her gut that he _enjoyed_ that kind of power over someone. "First term of the game: betting pool. Every time we spar…" he eased up a bit with a quicksilver smile and she could finally take a few shuddering gasps of air. "…we _bet_. Last one standing wins. It can be any bet of course. You can even _bet_ in breaking the KND promise, but I doubt it. You don't seem the type to lack a _spine_."

In a burst of anger, she clipped away the offending arm with hand snap and was rewarded with a hand to the _throat_ instead. She cried out when he squeezed, not enough to hurt, but enough to scare her into _thinking_ he would.

He tutted and spoke as if they were having a tea party instead of threatening to choke her to death. "Very quick, Numbuh 362. I like that. Maybe you'll be different from the others. Crybabies, all of them. That's what you get when you train child soldiers. I'm just the perfect one."

She could barely wrap her fingers around his wrist and tried defending again, struggling under his grip. His grin only grew the more she glared up at him, refusing to listen to him. When it came to _this_ 274, doing the right thing seemed to be the _wrong_ one.

"You're not even shedding a _tear_," His eyes glittered with interest. "You have no idea how happy this makes me. Even _Numbuh 1_ flipped out the first time. He thought I was joking around. Probably still thinks so." He practically climbed on top of her now, heightening the illusion that he was _really_ going to hurt her. "Not you. You look a little smarter than him. Do you think I'm playing around? Or do you think I'm some kind of _Nintendo hardcore boogeyman_ like the others?"

So he _does_ have supersonic hearing.

She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't from the pressure against her throat. The fingers retreated from their grip, but only just. Instead they brushed against the throbbing pulse of her throat as if drawing each of her heavy breathing to memory from touch alone. "I don't know what to believe," she finally gasped out. It was like he had two personalities. Which one was the real one she couldn't get a read from and reading people was part of being a KND spy.

That _scared_ her.

"A smart answer no matter what teachers say." And just like that, he was Supreme Leader Numbuh 274 again. Her fear was slowly subsiding when he tenderly massaged against the bruised sides of her throat to soothe the ache away. Whatever she did seemed to appease him.

Just like that, she was already _conditioned_ to follow his lead.

"And just think, you're doing a great service to the Kids Next Door offering yourself up like this. We can play as much as we want and never have to worry about our kids crying again. Isn't that right, Numbuh 362?"

_Our kids._ Somehow he can make his intentions seem absolutely disgusting and _endearing_ at the same time. Her chest fluttered at the idea while the rest of her body burned from the rough treatment. She hadn't dealt with something so dangerous… ever.

He finally got up and left her on the mat. "See you next month, _Rachel_."

_And you think I'm crazy, well that's not fair._


	2. Chapter 2

Would it be considered betrayal to Global Command if she warned the female operatives ahead of time that 274 was _crazy_?

They forgave him for being a ruthless fighter, sure, but he was more than that. They didn't see what she saw in his most private moments... though to be fair, the only private thing she's seen with him was on the training mat.

In comparison to his wild smile in the gym, the one he gave to the operatives who reported to him was very... muted. _Concealed_. Like he was more inclined to do something else than deal with paperwork and clogged up popcorn machines.

She felt that similar staleness creep in the longer her stay on Moonbase was. No field missions, no danger. Just sitting on a chair and telling the sectors back home '_good work!_' or '_get moving before adults start enforcing shorter recesses!_'. If it wasn't for 274's viciousness as a training partner, Rachel was pretty sure she would have started fattening up from all the meatball sandwiches in the cafe and nothing to show for it.

People weren't surprised that she lasted one month as 274's battle partner. She had a real decent reputation before enrolling into Global Command and, at the very least, it would have been an insult as a veteran operative to not last at least one horrible training session without crying about it like the regulars.

The second month people were impressed that she hadn't entered in a transfer for another partner. The third month she was in awe for sticking around the longest. But by the _fourth month_, people were starting to wonder if 274 was just going easy on her or something.

And that was _far_ from the truth. Just because she can hide her limping didn't mean the bruises weren't there. She concealed the soreness of her limbs and kept her mouth shut hiding a wince whenever she sat down on a bruised lower back. It had nothing to do with proving she was tough in front of her fellow operatives or showing off that she can last as 274's battle partner.

It was because every time she expressed discomfort, 274 would just smile at her. It wasn't that fake friendly smile that everyone (including her at one point) were accustomed to. No, this was a fleeting smirk, that flash of satisfaction in those blue eyes that to an extent, knew she was feeling him from the marks all over her.

Hopefully, he can feel_ her_ just as much. Because she was going to do more than take what he can dish out. She had already set up many appointments with trainers down in Arctic Base, among those included her former hand-to-hand combat instructor that specialized in reflex counters. It would be nice to touch base with her one last time before her former mentor's upcoming decommissioning.

At the very least, she had a _hobby_. It just involved a battle of fists and wits with the so-called charismatic leader of the Kids Next Door. In 274's case, the battle continued on well past training. Even on the floor, he was figuratively pulling on her pigtails when he shouldn't be.

Must be nice having all that power and control.

She was currently sitting directly in front of the Supreme Leader throne running a thorough diagnostic at a nearby console. It was part of the bet she had lost for the third time. Instead of working down in the Archives like she was supposed to, she ended up spending most of her time on the command deck running errands.

Imagine it: Numbuh 362, one of the most notorious of espionage agents, earning the most accolades and the highest rate of mission successes so far in her career branch was doing _pizza runs_ for the Supreme Leader.

Her superior didn't mind seeing as the preteen was already over heels in love with the Supreme Leader. He played to 358's infatuation with him by sweetly asking if he can steal 362 to help the workload topside. He just had this effect on people. _Especially with the girls._

Rachel understood why, except for the fact that she was now partially immune to most of his charms. When you've dealt with a guy like that both on and off the training grounds, you had to ignore that smile lest you got your butt handed to you.

She could hear one of the female yeomen sputter and gush around 274 while he signed off on her paperwork. It didn't help Rachel's mood much that he was actively enjoying the attention and egging the girl on for more compliments. Rachel grimaced and stuck her tongue out at the monitor. If only that poor yeoman knew what she knew. She'd be heading for the hills from that wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Oh!" she could hear the yeoman start to fuss over their commander. "Is that a _bite_ mark on your wrist?!"

Rachel wanted to pat herself on the back for not even showing a single twitch of amusement by that statement. She did idly lick one of her incisors at the memory. It wasn't even a fair match. He had pounced on her before she could finish her stretching and, in a very embarrassing wrestle around the mat, he had accidentally grabbed her chest, (well, lack thereof), and was rewarded with a real smart chomp on his arm for the trouble.

It must be a real good mark if the yeoman's complaints meant anything. She was kind of proud of this.

She couldn't see it, but she knew 274 was just laying on the charm like the manipulator he was. "Ah, it's no big. Just an overzealous Rainbow Monkey I trounced during a mission to the island. She was a _real_ ugly one." His smug tone was just _bleeding_ into her back. "I had to get a rabies shot and everything just in case."

Her stylus snapped in two when the girl began to coo. "A _shot_? You're so brave, sir!"

_I'm gonna kill him._

The girl departed just after Rachel hid the stylus pieces in her pocket and started to make plans in her head. Go to Arctic Base after shift, bring back a Yeti, _release it into 274's office..._

Her spine stiffened when she felt a hand on the back of her chair. There was a shuffle of armor and a familiar heady scent that instantly distracted her from her place at the console.

"You're quite the worker." She could practically feel 274's breath against her ear. "Keep it up and I might even promote you. It was really nice of you to take on most of my paperwork for this month, 362."

She answered through her teeth. "I am honored to help you, sir." Up until she became 274's battle partner, she's never met anyone who was physically this close to her outside of combat. Heck, she couldn't even say that she rubbed shoulders with a best friend. Her time in the KND was a very lonely one. As it should be for an espionage agent.

The fact that it had to be _him_ who became the first foreign contact into her personal space both infuriated and despaired her.

He clapped her on the shoulder and kept it there, knowing of the bruise he inflicted on her a few weeks ago was slowly healing. She managed to twitch in pain, just a fraction, but it was enough for him to smile and win the round again.

"I could _smell_ the smugness on you back there you know," he carried in a very low whisper meant only for her. "Now you know how I get when you feel my bruises on _you_."

The shiver this time wasn't from the bruises. Shrugging away his hand, she got up from her seat and handed him the datapad marked and ready for signing. "Anything else I can assist you with, sir, before I head back to the Archives?"

She had a full view of that _smile_. "Oh I might. You're very speedy with the paperwork. I might just be tempted to keep you on for another month."

"With all due respect sir, my place is in the Archives." _And well far away from you._ It would be a snow cone in Father's home before she'd allow him to demote the rank she spent blood and sweat for and make her his personal yeoman. The threatening look in her eyes said as much.

He made a show by dramatically sighing. "It's like you don't want to spend time with me, Numbuh 362."

Oh, he _was_ spending time with her. Every wince she had to suppress made it very clear that 274 would always be at the back of her thoughts, that twinge of realization that really, this soreness was _his_ fault. Her occasional limp was _his fault_.

And all this friendly touching was really setting her nerves on fire. Not even _Fanny_ spent this much contact with her. As if reading her thoughts, he gave her a professional pat on the lower back and this time Rachel couldn't suppress the pained groan that came with it.

Numbuh 274's eyes were so alive and possessive that 362 quickly frog marched off the command deck. "Oh and Numbuh 362?"

She took a second to control herself before turning back around.

"Your request to visit the Arctic Base has been shelved until further notice," he said cheerfully. "We're just _so short_ on staff… I hope you don't mind just using the Moonbase gym for training instead."

Her eyes momentarily widened before they narrowed. _He knew._ In fact, he was rubbing it in that he knew with that smug grin and the cool folding of his arms. _You're not going anywhere._

"I suppose it'll have to suffice then," she replied neutrally. "My technique has become so rusty, I just thought I'd have time to train with better fighters."

That fleeting, murderous flash of annoyance on his face brought a skip to her step for the rest of her shift.

That is, until her supervisor called her in and proudly promoted her back upstairs… as Numbuh 274's personal yeoman.

* * *

"I'm sorry!" she chased after Numbuh 10 throughout the Leda Deck. "I didn't apply for that stupid position!" What 274 had done… he practically caused her to end up on the blacklist for every female operative who spent months vying for the position of 274's yeoman. At this rate, she will NEVER be invited to another sleepover again!

_I'm going to kill him._

Belle whirled around and poked her squarely on the chest. This time Rachel did whine out loud and clutched the bruise through the fabric. Why was everyone _poking_ her in the wrong places today?! "You know how hard I spent climbing through those disgusting hamster tunnels and cleaning them up just to stick myself on top of that list?! Interview after interview-"

"I'm sorry!" Apologies would never be enough. "I _begged_ my supervisor to reconsider, I really did." The Archives were a boring place to work, but it was better than being the ire of the entire _female population_ a part of Global Command.

She had hoped that she could appeal to 10's sense of compassion, but that went down the drain when one operative overheard and decided to accuse 362 of stealing the position as well. Before she could blink a bunch of them started coming over and argue over each other until she had enough and stomped her foot down. "QUIET!"

Amazingly enough, they fell silent. "Listen, I didn't accept the promotion willingly, but KND protocol eleventy-seven point two states that any promotions from the active Chain of Command must be enforced at all costs. It's out of my hands, guys."

At least the deck became quiet again. In the face of cold reasoning and logic, she managed to somehow temper away the heat of their anger into a simmer and most of them begrudgingly dispersed. What hurt her the most was the look of betrayal Belle shot at her before walking away completely.

Slow clapping from around the corner caused Rachel to growl before she forced her anger down and turn.

Numbuh 274 was leaning against the wall, clipboard under his arm. It was obvious what he was here for. "It's like herding cats, isn't it?" he grinned. "Welcome to my world. It takes a special kind of person to control thousands of operatives. Bonus if they're attention deficit kids."

"Permission to speak freely sir."

He pulled away from the wall and sauntered over to her. "Permission granted."

"If you don't fix something about Numbuh 10's promotion, I'm gonna…" Hurting him more would just be a _reward_ than a punishment. The appropriate threat fell short as she tried to think of one. "I'm gonna…"

"You're gonna…?" If he thought that lilting smile was going to affect her, he was way off his game. Nevertheless, he pulled out the clipboard and pressed it against her chest. She barely looked at the paperwork there because she knew exactly what it was and why he was here.

He wanted to personally be there as she willingly signed over herself to him.

That was when the appropriate threat hit her. "You're not allowed to touch me."

Numbuh 274 raised an eyebrow. "I had permission in the first place?" Still, he seemed to pause at her words, blue eyes taking in every inch of her as if he was working on figuring her next move.

It was unnerving, but she would not falter. "I will make your life a _living nightmare_ if you make me your personal yeoman," she said sternly. "There's nothing to gain promoting me. I'm already paying off this month's bet with the paperwork already. You…" Rachel really forced down a sigh. "You already _own_ me. For this month only." If she didn't tack that on she was sure he'd be a pleased bit of nothing.

"I suppose…" Much to Rachel's surprise, he changed the subject to something more professional. "You handled the mob extremely well."

"It was hardly a _mob_," she shrugged and sighed for real this time. "but it was getting out of hand. Reasoning and logic is extremely important for an espionage agent."

Numbuh 274 nodded in agreement and then thoughtfully looked at the light fixtures above. "Prevents you from being emotionally compromised while under cover."

"Exactly." How strange that this was an amicable conversation. It wasn't flirting like he did with other operatives like her nor was this the gym conversation… which usually involves biting and punching. The more they just stood there looking at each other the more the animosity seemed to simmer away. Numbuh 274 just seemed very… friendly. Like co-worker friendly.

It appealed to her sense of compromise. "Look," she took a deep breath. "Whatever this 'thing' going on between us is, don't let the other operatives suffer to get an edge in. I'm willing to _play_, if you're willing to play _fair_." Numbuh 10, despite her infatuation with 274, really did work hard in order to look good for the yeoman interview. To pull that rug out from under her was wrong.

Chad was silent until he rubbed the bottom of his chin. "I suppose I can pull some strings… maybe give _Belle_ the promotion she deserves." He took another step into her personal space again and, quite frankly, she was so used to it that it didn't bother her anymore. "I guess I can accept your compromise. Have to seal the deal though. That's business of course."

She blinked. "Business?"

Smiling wolfishly, he leaned forward. "How about we kiss on it?"

Rachel turned a furious red and slammed the clipboard right over his head. Chad howled and pressed a hand into his hair. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?! NO-_NO_-!" he snatched back the clipboard when it was obvious she was going to defend herself with it again. "You've lost ALL clipboard holding privileges you crazy son of-!"

"I'm not _kissing_ you!" she managed to spit out in a panic. "I-I-I-I-I…"

"Why not?" he challenged. "It's just a kiss! No big deal!"

She wished she had the clipboard because she wanted to hit him with it again. "T-that's not… it's not _just_ a kiss. It's a _first_ kiss! I'm not giving it to _you_!" While she worked with a rational efficiency, Rachel was not above the thought of romance and other girly things.

While she stuttered and bumbled around, Chad was rubbing his fingers over the crown of his head and checking to see if there was blood. There was going to be a _bump_, that was for sure. "Oh please. Enough of that fairy tale junk. A kiss is a kiss," he grumbled. "And it _feels_ good. That's the most important thing."

"That's not the point!" And really, she wouldn't know if it felt good. She didn't even give _platonic_ kisses let alone romantic ones. Was it even romance? Chad just usually eyed her up like she was a hot fudge sundae. That sounded _nothing_ like candlelit dinners or walks on the beach like they dramatized in movies and TV.

Numbuh 274 wasn't the most clever operative in the KND for nothing. "You can at least kiss this bump you gave me," he pointed at the crown of his head. "The _least_ you can do."

She fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Quickly looking around, 362 hesitantly pulled his collar down until they were at eye level and really contemplated just hitting him again and risk the brig for injuring a superior officer. Trembling with embarrassment, she leaned forward to press her lips against the bump there. Compromise. She needed to _compromise_.

That was when he snapped his head up and caught her lips with his.

Two weeks after he filed Numbuh 10's promotion as his personal yeoman was when the second bump on his head finally swelled down and 362 started talking to him again.

Because instead of yeoman, he promoted 362 to _Global Tactical Officer_, which pissed off another group of applicants who spent _years_ fighting for the promotion.

"You just _enjoy _making everyone mad at me," she snarled and smashed shoulders with him before moving her things into the office next to his.

His passing smirk said it all.

* * *

She didn't take the bait over which one can pull the most ab crunches in five minutes because it was obvious who was going to win.

It was even more obvious that he wanted to separately train just to rile her up. That, or he was really trying to fish for compliments on his physique by showing off what made his abs more finely tuned than a _xylophone_.

No combat today. They couldn't afford to be sore and off their A-game so close to raiding the annual _Adult Villain Convention for the Exceedingly Sooper Evil Members_. Instead, Numbuh 274 called it their 'downtime' which consisted of keeping themselves limber without stress and licking whatever old wounds they've sustained from a couple weeks ago.

Honestly, it was one of her favorite days. She found peace doing yoga for an hour, even with Chad snarking that she was such a girl… which she _was_. Unless he _really_ thought she looked like an ugly Rainbow Monkey. Then she refused talk to him for the rest of the session.

Curling into a rabbit pose, she saw her battle partner doing pull ups from behind and building a good sweat doing it. Some of the female operatives had stopped jump roping or skipping on the balance beam just to _watch_ and Rachel didn't know why until after a few minutes.

Numbuh 274 was just _oozing_ confidence and power during his workouts. He was in that zone, controlling everything from the staccato of the rise and fall of his shoulders over the bar to the cadence of his _breathing_. Ruefully, she had to admit that it was an admiring sight.

He hopped off the bar, caught her staring, and grinned which caused her to topple and roll onto her back. Scoffing, she rolled back around and tried again. Yoga was to center oneself and she wasn't doing it justice when her thoughts were focused on Numbuh 274 and his obvious grandstanding in front of the everyone.

The girls clapped and cheered when Chad slipped into a round of one-armed pushups, but Rachel had already wandered off looking for a punching bag. She needed more strength of force in order to penetrate that ridiculous wall on his stomach called his _abs_. It felt like a good time to practice it too.

"You're really working that punching bag hard, Numbuh 362."

Kicking the old beat up bag for good measure, Rachel started re-bandaging her knuckles again before smiling. "Hello Numbuh 30c."

Grinning back, Kenny tried his hand at punching the bag and ended up hurting his hand for the trouble. "Ow. This is why us science officers play with Yipper cards than punching bags. They don't give us broken fingers!"

She laughed because really, Kenny didn't even make the bag _move_ from that punch. "It's because you're using too much force from your wrist," she offered helpfully and held up her arm. "Use your arm and shoulder to drive it home. That way all that weight will distribute throughout your arm and it won't hurt as much."

"I'll definitely keep that in mind!" he grinned. "I could use all the help I can get. Especially since your battle partner is _Numbuh 274_. Must be tough I hear."

Understatement of the century. "I'm alive. I suppose that's important."

"Bet you have a lot of awesome stories," Kenny leaned against the side of the punching bag. "Wanna head down to _Lime Ricky's Bar_ after training? I could use a good pick-me-up myself."

Man, she really missed soda. "Actually that sounds…"

That was when the punching back tilted and Kenny went crashing onto the mat.

"There you are." She blinked up at Chad in mild alarm. He purposefully pushed the punching bag in order to _humiliate_ Kenny. Her eyes followed the swaying of the bag in disbelief as it slowly rocked back to stillness. "Sorry to break up the fun, but both of you realize we have to get ready for the _Villain Convention_ right?"

Rachel moved to help Kenny up, but the sharp look in Chad's eyes caused her to stop and lock eyes with him in confusion. He was either in Supreme Leader mode or just _really_ angry for some reason. "Sir?"

"Aw, come on Chad," Kenny groaned and dusted himself off. "Everyone knows you're working 362 hard enough as it is. Give her a break, man."

She really wished he didn't bring her into this because Chad's eyes became dark and taunting, as if she was betraying him for some reason. "Is that so?" he accused her softly. "Do you think I'm overworking you, _Rachel?_"

Why did he have to say her name like that? "No sir," she said stiffly. "If you are not at the top of your game then I am not doing my job." Once upon a time, she swore to him that she would keep him at his A-game. No matter what.

"See Numbuh 30c?" Chad switched from threatening to genial so quickly, she could only stand there stunned while he clapped her on the shoulder and drew her into his personal space. "There's a reason why she's my battle partner. I only accept the best on my team."

Was her cheeks burning? Must be the exertion. "Um… how about a rain check, Numbuh 30c? Maybe after the convention?"

Kenny flashed a wary glance at 274 before answering. "Err… maybe. We'll see." And just like that, he hightailed it faster than the Toiletnator on a toilet paper run.

"So what?" Rachel grumbled after a long moment. "I'm not allowed to have soda with anyone?"

"You'll get fat on soda," Chad purred and pinched her side before throwing a towel over his shoulders. "And your tummy is soft enough as it is."

Horrified, she poked her stomach and then snapped at his retreating back. "It's soft because it's _skin_! NOT FAT!"

_I'm gonna kill him. _


End file.
